UPDATE: Gold 3 to Masters (Rank 73) 2019-09-12.
Diamond 2 to Masters 2019-08-28.
A guide has been requested! Here goes:
(some/most of this may seem counter-intuitive, but it's how I play this deck and how I've found success with it)
How to play
I mulligan aggressively to try to aim for three or more units in play on turn three. Often the match is decided in five or fewer turns (W or L) based on my match history.
I don't block unless they have lethal, or a game-altering infiltrate (rare). The opponent should be on the defensive.
The deck is 41% units, so I don't hold anything back. Choosing which unit to play in which order (aim for higher damage right away) is more important than holding a unit expecting mass removal. There are many units with charge that come in handy after a removal spell hits. This deck can't afford to 'play smart', and trying to guess if my opponent is holding a
Defiance or some ambush unit isn't productive. There have been losses due to this, but they were likely to be losses anyway.
I always wait to play units that don't have charge until after I have attacked. The only exception is when I want to optimize a
Flame Blast.
Most of the field is playing three color and digging for influence requirements during the first few turns. This deck can hit pretty regularly with 12-14 damage onboard (which should be lethal at that point) on the fourth turn if they do that.
Card Choices & Notes:
I play
Oni Patrol over
Pyroknight and
Snowcrust Yeti because the extra 1 damage is valuable when available. If it's the only unit available on turn 1, I play it.
I don't value
Impatient Pyromage for this build.
Censari Dervish is clutch. 3/2 charge, then 4/1 and taking out a blocker is incredibly valuable. I've considered cutting an
Eclipse Dragon for a fourth, but I always seemed to have it when I needed it and the curve feels right at 3.
I'm playing
Eclipse Dragon because it's a 4/4 flier with quickdraw and charge. The +3 power hasn't ever been relevant.
Crimson Firemaw was too slow, and the cost reduction isn't relevant.
Soulfire Drake would be in the deck if it were still 5, at 6 it is too expensive.
The power base is rather solid, all things considered. I'm rarely in a position where I don't get the three power with FF+PP influence that this deck needs.
No market. I prioritize units with value and another 3-cost 3/2 without charge doesn't make the cut. The 2/2 doesn't either. Also, if I have a card in my hand that I want to swap with at the point that I'm playing a 3-cost unit, the game is already not in my favor.
Card-Specific Playstyle Choices
I use
Flame Blast to take out 1/1s - 2/3s almost as much as I do to damage opponents. Same with
Torch. I remove obstacles and attack; the units will do most of the damage.
I've found that a
Permafrost on an opponent's 1/1 to be able to get in with a unit is not a bad idea. This deck does its best work with the opponent on 4 or fewer power, so I do as much as I can to get damage in early.
I'm not afraid to play a
Champion of Fury before it has charge (though I find it often does). Just having it on the board and available to hold a weapon later is important for me. I will prioritize other units that don't have charge first in this situation as the Champion will likely have charge later.
Opponents will focus removal on
Dusk Raider, and for good reason. A berserk'd
Censari Brigand or
Champion of Fury can be game ending. I'm fine forcing them to use removal on the 2/2 unit rather than something I can use to hit them for 4.
I always sacrifice a unit to an opponent's
Vara, Vengeance-Seeker unless I happen to be holding a
Permafrost. This deck can overpower a 3/3, but not a 5/5. Be aware of the game mechanic (bug?) where you can
Torch Vara before choosing whether or not to sacrifice, and then choose to not sacrifice.
This deck doesn't care about
Disciplinary Weights, and an opponent will often not block with a
Teacher of Humility and gift a win in the process.
An opponent's
Desecrate has been my friend, a removal spell that reduces opponent's life total and has double-shadow requirements.
Match Notes:
based on my matches played D2 to Master
Vs Argenport: The matchup is rough and often a loss. There is enough spot lifegain and removal (i.e.
Hojan, Crownbreaker,
Stonepowder Alchemist,
Hidden Road Smuggler) to make up for the turns they spend ramping if they time their blocks correctly.
Vs FTP: This is one of the more difficult matches as there's lots of spot removal and
Hailstorm. I have to attack into lots of bad situations to make it work. The upside is that they don't have lifegain apart from
Display of Instinct, so constant pressure sometimes gets there. Lots of close matches.
Vs Ixtun Control: This deck looks like it would be a tough matchup, and it is. But I've won matches where the opponent spends the first three turns digging for influence.
Vs Xenan: It's a win when I can force more bad blocks. I attack into their early units, because they value them more than they should and will often block poorly. This match is typically over (W or L) before
Caiphus, Wandering King or
Azindel, Revealed are ever played. Thankfully
Razorquill combos are more infrequent than they used to be.
Vs Rakano Aggro / Oni: This matchup is usually in my favor, as we're both aiming to do the same thing but skycrag units have more power out of the gate. This is a rare match that I will hold spot removal for their lifesteal creatures.
FJP / FJS Midrange: These decks spend early turns ramping and are typically quick wins, despite all the removal they carry.
Vs Yeti: Gah this match is frustrating but I usually get there by just attacking them head on. Their deck relies on their units hitting you to do more stuff and as a consequence their blocks are tougher.
Wump, Party Starter can swing their game. Update: After playing many more matches in ladder almost exclusively vs Yeti and winning while at 1 health, I will add that I block more in this match if I know I can keep a unit in the process.
you got lucky with your opponents I guess.
I really like skycrag and always loved to play it but the meta doesn't favour it right now.